By Lee Youkyung SEOUL, July 13 (Yonhap) -- Domestic sales of the Galaxy S, the biggest bet by Samsung Electronics Co. to challenge the iconic iPhone, have surpassed 300,000 units within 19 days of its debut, SK Telecom Co. said Tuesday.

The milestone was reached at a faster pace than previous mobile phones launched here, said a spokesman for SK Telecom, South Korea's top mobile carrier, which sells the Galaxy S.Data picture SK Telecom, which accounts for slightly more than half of the country's wireless market, released the Android-based smartphone on June 24, in hopes of halting the quickly rising popularity of Apple Inc.'s flagship product, which is offered by SK Telecom's rival operator, and profiting from increased wireless data sales.

South Korea's No. 2 mobile carrier, KT Corp., had sold more than 800,000 units of the iPhone as of the end of June.

Samsung Electronics, the world's second-largest maker of mobile phones, also pins high hopes on the Galaxy S, its all-out push to catch up to the megahit iPhone and recast itself as a competitive player in the high-profit smartphone segment.

Since its domestic launch in November 2009, the iPhone became one of South Korea's most beloved mobile devices made by a foreign manufacturer, pitting the U.S. company against local handset giants like Samsung and LG Electronics Inc. on their home turf.

Samsung and LG Electronics, the world's No. 3 mobile-phone maker by shipments, have yet to make a big splash in the lucrative smartphone segment, while their mobile business profits are feared to suffer as conventional phone prices drop.

A spokesman at Samsung Electronics declined to comment on the global performance of the Galaxy S, which has been rolled out in Europe and Asia. The model is scheduled to be offered in the U.S. through four major carriers starting this month.

The president of Samsung's mobile business division, Shin Jong-kyun, said last month that the company aims to record 10 million in sales with its Galaxy S.